Headache: a 'suitable case' for behavioural treatment in primary care?

Headache is a health problem with considerable impact at personal, social, and financial levels in terms of distress, disability, and cost. In the past, many studies have investigated the use of various behavioural treatment modalities for headache. Literature reviews consistently support the effectiveness of behavioural therapeutic approaches for the treatment of the most common primary headaches, namely migraine and tension-type headache. This article recommends that behavioural headache therapies should be developed, tested, and integrated into primary care practice, where most patients with headache are seen and treated. The large population seen in general practice, most of whom have uncomplicated primary headaches, could represent the ideal target for testing behavioural therapies.